Taken from: "Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith", Volume 02
If a fard (obligatory act) is unintentionally missed during Salah, some jurists say one should add a compensatory rak‘ah, while Muhaddith Abdullah Ropuri says the prayer should be repeated from the rak‘ah in which the fard was missed. Which is the correct opinion?
✦ The correct and stronger opinion is that of our esteemed Shaykh, the noble Muhaddith ʿAbdullāh Ropuri رحمه الله.
He ruled that if a fard (like a prostration or rukūʿ) is missed in a rak‘ah, then:
The entire prayer from that point onward becomes invalid, and the person must restart from the rak‘ah in which the fard was missed.
Shaykh Abdullah Ropuri رحمه الله said:
“If one of the two prostrations is missed in a rak‘ah, then the prayer must be restarted from the rak‘ah in which it was missed. If the first prostration was performed and the second was forgotten, then the person should repeat that second prostration and all following rak‘āt.
Then, at the end of the prayer, before or after the final salām, perform sajdat al-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness)—because both prostrations are rukn (pillars) of Salah, and missing even one invalidates that rak‘ah.”
(Source: Tanẓīm Ahl al-Ḥadīth, Vol. 18, Issue 19; Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ al-Ḥadīth, Bāb al-Rukūʿ wa al-Sujūd)
① If a fard act is missed due to forgetfulness, the prayer must be repeated from that rak‘ah onward.
② Merely adding an extra rak‘ah is not sufficient if a foundational act (e.g., a sujūd) was missed.
③ The view of Muhaddith Ropuri رحمه الله is sound, correct, and supported by the principles of Salah.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
❀ Question:
If a fard (obligatory act) is unintentionally missed during Salah, some jurists say one should add a compensatory rak‘ah, while Muhaddith Abdullah Ropuri says the prayer should be repeated from the rak‘ah in which the fard was missed. Which is the correct opinion?
❀ Answer:
✦ The correct and stronger opinion is that of our esteemed Shaykh, the noble Muhaddith ʿAbdullāh Ropuri رحمه الله.
He ruled that if a fard (like a prostration or rukūʿ) is missed in a rak‘ah, then:
The entire prayer from that point onward becomes invalid, and the person must restart from the rak‘ah in which the fard was missed.
✿ Detailed Explanation:
Shaykh Abdullah Ropuri رحمه الله said:
“If one of the two prostrations is missed in a rak‘ah, then the prayer must be restarted from the rak‘ah in which it was missed. If the first prostration was performed and the second was forgotten, then the person should repeat that second prostration and all following rak‘āt.
Then, at the end of the prayer, before or after the final salām, perform sajdat al-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness)—because both prostrations are rukn (pillars) of Salah, and missing even one invalidates that rak‘ah.”
(Source: Tanẓīm Ahl al-Ḥadīth, Vol. 18, Issue 19; Fatāwā ʿUlamāʾ al-Ḥadīth, Bāb al-Rukūʿ wa al-Sujūd)
✦ Legal Principle:
- Every fard act in Salah is foundational (rukn).
- Missing a rukn means the rak‘ah is incomplete.
- Therefore, all subsequent rak‘āt performed after the defective one are invalid and must be repeated.
✔ Summary:
① If a fard act is missed due to forgetfulness, the prayer must be repeated from that rak‘ah onward.
② Merely adding an extra rak‘ah is not sufficient if a foundational act (e.g., a sujūd) was missed.
③ The view of Muhaddith Ropuri رحمه الله is sound, correct, and supported by the principles of Salah.
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
